Helping young people avoid false messages is a challenge for all parents

Dear Rev. Graham: I know we ought to be glad our teenaged granddaughter likes to read; many her age don’t. But some of the books she’s reading seem to glorify immorality or deal with dark (almost demonic) themes, and we’re not sure she ought to be filling her mind with all this. Should we say something to her parents? -- Mrs. J.H.

Dear Mrs. J.H.: It’s difficult for those of us who are parents to give advice to our adult children; they have their own lives now, and they may resent us trying to tell them what to do. Nevertheless, sometimes we need to make the effort -- and this may be one of those times.

You love your granddaughter -- and because you do, you don’t want her to be led astray or tempted to follow ways that will only harm her. Every day our young people are on the receiving end of a barrage of messages urging them to live in a certain way -- but most of those messages are false. Helping them see this is one of the hardest challenges any parent faces today. We are like the people of Isaiah’s day: “O my people, your guides lead you astray” (Isaiah 3:12).

Pray for your granddaughter, and ask God to give you wisdom to know how to express your concern -- both to her and to her parents. Instead of lecturing them, you might simply ask her parents if they’re aware of what she’s reading, and if they’ve given any thought to its impact. The Bible says, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable... think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).

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Most of all, ask God to help you point your granddaughter (and her parents) to Jesus Christ. He alone gives lasting happiness and meaning to our lives.

Dear Rev. Graham: I know Christmas is still a long way off, but I’m already dreading it. I know I shouldn’t feel this way, but Christmas is always such a hassle that I just can’t help it. Is it wrong to feel this way about Jesus’ birthday? -- Mrs. R.C.

Dear Mrs. R.C.: I suspect almost everyone reading this can identify with you -- because for many of us Christmas has become a burden instead of a blessing. We get so busy, and we become so overwhelmed with everything we need to do, that we lose sight of its true meaning.

But of course it shouldn’t be this way, because at Christmas we celebrate the greatest event in human history -- the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. The birth of that baby in Bethlehem’s stable over 2,000 years ago wasn’t just the birth of another great man. Instead, what happened that night is almost beyond our understanding -- because God himself came down from Heaven and became a man. As the Bible says, “’The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ -- which means, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23).

Why did Christ come? He came for one reason: To provide the way for us to be forgiven of our sins and go to heaven when we die. He did this because God loves us, and wants us to experience the joy of his presence every day.

As you look toward Christmas, begin by committing these days -- and your whole life -- to Jesus Christ. Take time each day to read his word and reflect on his love. Then ask God to help you plan your holiday time carefully (even cutting out things that don’t matter), instead of leaving everything to the last minute.

Dear Rev. Graham: My friend recently lost her third husband (all of them by death), and she asked me the other day which one she’d be married to in Heaven. I didn’t know how to answer, but I could tell this concerns her. -- Mrs. M.W.

Dear Mrs. M.W.: One day, Jesus was asked almost the same question (although by people who were just trying to trick Him). His reply was clear: In heaven, we won’t be married the way we are in this life. He said, “At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven” (Matthew 22:30).

Does this mean we won’t recognize our wives or husbands in Heaven, or we won’t have anything to do with them? No, absolutely not. Instead, we’ll know each other in a far deeper and better way, for all the barriers between us will be completely erased. We’ll also have new bodies -- bodies like the resurrected body of Jesus Christ. Although we can’t fully imagine what this will be like, you can be sure heaven will be filled with joy and celebration.

Every good thing we experience on earth -- including human love -- is only a foretaste of what we’ll experience in heaven. In other words, in Heaven we’ll enjoy in a far greater way every good thing we enjoy right now. All evil will be destroyed, and even this earth will be renewed and become part of our heavenly experience. The Bible says, “In keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13).

The most important truth about heaven, however, is that we can go there! The reason is because by His death and resurrection Jesus Christ opened heaven’s door for us. Have you opened the door of your heart to him?